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Welcome to my blog, where I take pleasure in words and pictures, be they my own or those of others. I'm a creative individual, and the crafty side I explore on my 'other blog', Picking Up The Threads, which I hope you'll visit too. I'm sure you understand that I have sole copyright of my original work and any of my contributions, so please ask if you want to use them. A polite request is rarely refused. So, as they used to say on the BBC's 'Listen With Mother' radio programme, many years ago: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin."

Friday, 20 June 2014

Still a Great Experience!

My daughter is pointing to a poster designed by some neighbouring children, to mark the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. You don’t need me to remind you how that marriage turned out, however, back then it was an excuse for a street party. We were living in RAF married quarters at High Wycombe and our little ‘patch’ had just a few houses in a cul de sac; perfect for such a celebration.

We had many souvenirs of the wedding; a Wedgewood dish, a specially minted coin and a radio recording of the actual wedding made by me on a c90 cassette, but the postcard below is my favourite.

It was sent by my sister-in-law Gill to our quarters in High Wycombe. I treasure it because it marks a special snapshot in time. There are Charles and Diana smiling away on the 14 pence stamp, totally oblivious to the turbulence they were to face in the future; there is Gill’s distinctive handwriting and wry sense of humour and there is the postmark of Amlwych, Gwynedd, North Wales, then the home of my husband’s brother, his wife (the P and T referred to in the message) and family. I can only guess that the three old Welsh women were T’s mother and her friends. The card itself is an unremarkable arty design, hence Gill’s opening remark; my husband’s family had been holidaying on Angelsey for as long as anyone could remember (the name can just be made out on the franking) and every variation on the views had been mailed to family members over the years. Gill summed up the Royal Wedding, with all its pomp, ceremony and national fervour, perfectly - "Still a Great Experience!”

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is weddings and, if you’re looking for real sepia, read one of my first ever blogposts, ‘Wedding Day Delay’, which tells why my grandparents had to get dressed up all over again the next day! I wrote it on 29th April 2011, the day of a more recent Royal Wedding, that of Charles and Diana’s son, William, and Katherine Middleton; another great experience.

This Saturday will be remembered as the day that Alan’s son, Alexander, is married to Heather. We wish them every happiness and celebrate in true Sepia Saturday style. Join us in a toast and mark the occasion by visiting other Sepians to see what they made of the prompt. Here’s to Alexander and Heather!

I’m also linking to Viridian’s Sunday Stamps because this week she has generously allowed us to choose whatever theme we like and here is one to fit the bill.

22 comments:

Isn't it funny how we were all so excited by the royal wedding? I can remember staying up so late just to watch. That's funny that you recorded it on a cassette. How times and technology have changed.NancyLadies of the Grove

Your story of your grandparent's wedding photo was one I missed. As for C&D, in ancient times, royal weddings were usually about strengthening ties between nations and not between beautiful people. This wedding was different,a fairy tale for modern times that has dark lessons we will remember for a very long time.

A vary varied post - enjoyed the read and dipped into the story of your Grandparents too. In rural Australia at about the same time as this the photographer's studio was often in another town so the photos were taken on another day. We were in the UK at the time of Prince Andrew's Wedding to Fergie, staying in a B and B in Edinburgh. The landlady who was Indian was very encouraging for us to sit with her and watch the broadcast and she shared a bottle of bubbly with us.

That one wedding will forever be etched within my memories. I got to view it all again ( a few years ago) up close when we had a display of Lady Diana, A celebration at our Mall of America. It was a most beautiful, Royal Wedding for me, and our company allowed us to watch it on television live! From the store during the exhibition I bought a shot glass with the Althorp family crest! It's so very sad and tragic how her life ended.

Poor Diana, so young and with no inkling of what she was letting herself in for. From your first photograph it's clear that the women were more interested in the Royal matrimonials than any men they may have had in their lives, who were elsewhere. Of course the Australian version of the fairytale wedding is that of our own Princess Mary of Tasmania and Frederick her Prince Charming of Denmark, who seem to be still going strong, so far!

Great to see how you all celebrated the 1981 wedding. My sons and ex were visiting Britain for a youth soccer exchange...and of course only saw it on TV even if they were inundated with the festive atmosphere. It was definitely the happy times in many lives, even as fantasies for many young women who believed in finding their own prince charmings.

Charles & Diana's marriage was a sad mistake from the beginning. The wedding ceremony itself was lovely, of course, but he loved another & until later, was denied permission to marry the bride of his heart. I'm so happy they are finally together today. Diana, unfortunately, was a royal victim. The marriage I was most sad to see flounder was that of Andrew & Fergie. I really thought they'd make it, but it was not to be. Kate & William seem to actually be in love with good heads on their shoulders so hope, there, does not seem misplaced. As for cute-as-can-be Harry, I hope he, too, finds true love on his own without undue parental push.

Apart from the wedding photo I love the group of friends and the look-alike Shy Di haircuts. It has brought back lots of memories. Do you remember about 20 years ago a British TV movie, Royal Celebration,which was about a street party to celebrate Charles and Di;s wedding Lots of familiar faces in the cast, like Minnie Driver..Your young ladies sitting on the lawn reminded me of it. Most entertaining little film,not about the wedding but about all the different neighbours celebrating. Thanks for the memories.

Ah yes, I remember THE wedding too, but Diana's hair did not look good that day. Like so many, I was glued to the tv for the wedding, for the news of Prince William's arrival, the reports of her death, and her funeral. After all that, I'm actually glad Charles and Camilla are married. I think Diana actually made that possible.

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About Me

I am a retired primary school headteacher who moved to Lanzarote for the year-round sunshine, the amazing landscape and the slower pace of life (Mañana really means mañana here). I have been married for 40 years, have a son and daughter and 8 year-old twin grandchildren. I relish the time to do what I like at last; get up when I want to, go to bed when I want to. Of course there are things I miss about England: the song of the robin and blackbird in my garden and watching the blue-tits nesting, the theatre, the art galleries, the cathedrals, but I get my fix on the visits back to Blighty and travels further afield. This is my home now, in every sense.